News Summary:
The reactions to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress and the reactions to the reactions
continued to be a top story in today’s Hebrew newspapers. What barely made the news were the statements by
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the PLO Central Council meeting held Wednesday.

Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif ended three days of talks and will meet again in Geneva on
March 15. Kerry said gaps remain and Zarif said that a nuclear deal could be close. Kerry hinted that the March 30 goal is
no longer a 'framework agreement' with Iran but an 'understanding' on which to base future talks.

Kahane’s grandson banned from West Bank for a year - Meir Ettinger of Givat Ronen
outpost, was also placed under house arrest at night for three months, forbidden to contact
six associates for six months and banished from Jerusalem for six months. Ettinger was convicted of
keeping surveillance over IDF troops in a bid to prevent evacuation of outposts. He was also one of 10
extremists who entered West Bank village of Kusra in January 2014 [with the likely goal of setting
something on fire or vandalism – OH] and was beaten by Palestinians and handed over to the IDF.
(Haaretz+)

Palestinian activists plant olive trees in Hebron - Dozens of Palestinians took part in
planting olive tree saplings in Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron, despite Israeli army declaring
area closed military zone and after settlers recently cut down saplings. Badie Dweik said activity was a
"message of Palestinian persistence.” (Maan)

Battle for water won by entrepeneur of first Palestinian planned city - A political
battle to install a water pipeline for the first planned Palestinian city of Rawabi is now over, with
Palestinian American entrepeneur finally able to reach his goal of establishing a beautiful city in area A of
the West Bank. (Yedioth/Ynet)

Palestinian Authority to stop paying fines Israeli courts impose on prisoners - Israeli
military courts had started more than a year ago to impose fines reaching tens of thousands of shekels "in
compensation to Israeli soldiers or settlers attacked during Palestinian resistance activities." All lawyers of
Palestinian prisoners have been told to avoid plea bargains with Israeli prosecution that includes fines.
(Maan)

Army: Shots fired at Israeli military vehicle near Nablus - Gunshots were fired at an
Israeli military vehicle near the Israeli settlement of Qedumim Wednesday, lightly damaging the vehicle with no
injuries reported. (Maan)

Israeli forces impose security restrictions on Nablus, settlers throw rocks on Palestinian cars
- Restrictions on the southern and eastern entrances of Nablus on Wednesday after shooting
incident on military vehicle. Also, several Israeli settlers from Elon Moreh threw rocks at Palestinian
vehicles on the Beit Furik-Beit Dajan road, damaging several. The road was opened by Israeli forces for the
first time after being closed for nine years. (Maan)

British watchdog bans Israel tourism ad over inclusion of Old City - Move comes despite
Israeli tourist office's claim that 'the brochure made clear a distinction between Israel and the Occupied
Territories,' according to British group. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)

IDF chief: We must meet maritime threats - "The Navy is pivotal to our success as a
military and as a state," Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot says at Naval Academy's 130th graduation ceremony Tuesday.
"Israel's naval arm ... is one of excellence, quality, and determination," Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon says.
(Israel Hayom)

IDF unveils new method for destroying terror tunnels - Army expects Hezbollah to fight
underground in the event of another war, conducts training for detonating tunnel openings and develops new
communication equipment. (Ynet)

Before Israel's election, parties loath to talk about cutting defense spending - A 10%
reduction in military outlays would free up $1.5 billion for civilian use. (Haaretz+)

US budget caps complicates Israeli missile defense request - If mandatory limits not
eased, Congress will have to reshuffle research priorities to comply with Jerusalem ask of additional $317
million for Iron Dome, Arrow shields. (Agencies, Ynet)

Election ad gaffe may cost Yisrael Beiteinu hundreds of thousands of
dollars - Right-wing party displayed picture it claimed to belong to arch-terrorist, but it
turned out to be Arab-Israeli lawyer. (Haaretz)

**Netanyahu's speech remix: Sit up, sit down - Ynet exclusive: Israel's king of remix Noy
Aloooshe takes on Netanyahu's address to US Congress, with demands of GOP to remember three things: Iran, Iran
and Iran. (Ynet)

The story behind the marble Moses in Netanyahu’s speech' - Moses gave us a message that
has steeled our resolve for thousands of years,' PM said during speech to Congress, referencing a marble statue
of Moses, but how did it get to the Hill in the first place. (Ynet)

Dennis Ross and former head of India's intelligence talk Israeli security - VIDEO: At
Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) annual conference former Clinton envoy and former head of
India's spy services talk Iran, Netanyahu's speech and regional security. (Ynet)

JDL leader in U.K. convicted of assaulting pro-Palestinian - Robert Moore discharged a
dye spray in the face of a retired British Library professor and book seller at Palestine literature festival.
(Haaretz)

Egypt ready to approve imports of Israeli natural gas, with conditions - Deal would go
through if the price is right and if one of the gas companies involved drops legal action against the
government, Egyptian minister says. (Haaretz+)

They say Ayman
The Arab and Jewish undecided guests who arrived at the home of Joint Arab List Chairman Ayman Oudeh sat in a sort
of bi-national shyness that caused the owner of the home to stand up and urge them to take from the full
breakfast he laid out for them. But a few days after the televised political debate, they only see Oudeh as a TV
star and feel even shyer. One of the voters, Matan, 33, voted Hadash in the last elections and expressed the
thoughts of some of those present. "The things you say really move me, but now that you are united with the other
Arab parties I am in a dilemma. I don't see (MK Ahmed) Tibi and (MK Jamal) Zahalka as representing me or the
Arabs." (Merav Betito, Yedioth, p. 8)Meet the new tourists to Israel (who don't care for hummus)
The good news: They’re not scared off by terror attacks or war. (Haaretz+)

Commentary/Analysis:

Let’s keep Israel safe for the political fringes (Haaretz Editorial) Right-wingers’ assault on Knesset members at a panel discussion this
week was an act worthy of fascists. Netanyahu's top priority is elections, not Iran (Nahum Barnea, Yedioth/Ynet) Instead of garnering the Democratic members' support in order to torpedo the
Iranian nuclear deal, the prime minister's Congress speech only served to alienate them.Sorry, Bibi: Iran is bad, but it is no Amalek, Haman or even Nazi Germany (Peter
Beinart, Haaretz+) Jewish history offers no parallels for the situation Israel finds itself in
today – American history does. Netanyahu’s speech leaves rivals at a loss (Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz+) PM commandeers campaign agenda with little time left to change
it. The sad truth in Bennett's claim about rampant crime in Arab towns (Don
Futterman, Israel Hayom) The 'rule of law' does indeed seem absent from many Arab enclaves in Israel.
But the problem lies beyond a lack of law enforcement. How did Israelis get away with smuggling for Hamas? (Alex
Fishman, Yedioth/Ynet) Dozens of Israelis helped Hamas' rocket industry - the group's military wing
even had warehouses inside Israel; and if the defense establishment suspected, why didn't it act?Netanyahu's survival speech (Sima Kadmon, Yedioth/Ynet) The Congress address proved what we all already know, that when it comes to
speaking, Netanyahu has no competition. His only problem is his return to Israel, where he will be greeted by
all the annoying issues he tried to push aside.Two good reasons for all Israelis to vote for the Joint List of Arab parties (Shlomo
Sand, Haaretz+) A vote for this party could be a decisive event in Israel’s short
history. Ambassador Power as Queen Esther: An unlikely advocate for the Jewish people (Rabbi Dan
Dorsch, Haaretz) Power called out apathy toward anti-Semitism before such condemnation was
mainstream.Netanyahu talks the talk, but that's it (Amnon Abramovich, Yedioth/Ynet) The prime minister didn't want Israel to become an apartheid state, but on
his watch it is becoming entrenched as such; he didn't want a nuclear Iran, but on his watch it is becoming
just that. US must come to its senses (Dr. Reuven Berko, Israel Hayom) A nuclear Iran poses a serious threat to the Sunni Arab world, and its
leaders, much like Netanyahu, are hoping Obama sobers up to reality.When the ends don't justify the means: Israeli army's use of dogs is cruel (Emanuel
Gross, Haaretz+) A society without respect for human dignity, that is willing to use animals
against human beings, is an unfit society.Zero in social skills: Netanyahu's speech is all he has (Lilach
Sigan, Maariv) Likud officials resigned because of him, most Israelis do not want him, former
security officials spoke out against him, and now - the Democrats. Give Netanyahu a chance, and he'll waste
it.Despite everything, a historic speech by Netanyahu (Israel
Harel, Haaretz+) Due to the world reactions to Netanyahu's address, I have the feeling – or maybe
it’s a wish – that the agreement with Iran, in its current, execrable form, will not be signed. Iran, then and now: Netanyahu puts himself in the role of savior (Avrahim
Tirosh, Maariv) The Prime Minister had made himself out to be Ben-Gurion, Eshkol and Begin and
even Churchill. In the spirit of the Purim holiday, it is not surprising that he did not disguised himself as
Mordechai the Jew. The book of Esther: More relevant than ever (Dror Eydar, Israel Hayom) I was present at the historic moment when the prime minister told the
U.S. and the free world that the Jewish people would fight to protect themselves.Netanyahu spoke truth. Few heard. (Ari Shavit, Haaretz+) Netanyahu isn’t generating much interest in the U.S. because he frames the
Iranian nuclear threat in Jewish and Israeli terms instead of as a universal concern directly affecting
Americans.

Prepared for APN by Orly Halpern, independent freelance journalist based in Jerusalem.